Whether you simply want to make a statement or don’t transport rear seat passengers around too frequently, coupes are an effective way of exhibiting flair on the roads.
Usually based on the competent but not necessarily exciting underpinnings of regular saloons and hatchbacks, coupes sacrifice a degree of practicality – typically rear seat space and luggage capacity – for a significant increase in style, often accompanied by a sportier driving sensation too.
Depending upon the manufacturer and the design of the car in question, coupes typically come in two-door (with a conventional boot lid) or three-door (featuring a tailgate at the back) forms, but more companies are entering the four-door coupe niche too – such as Mercedes with the CLS.
Parkers readers have been keen over the past 12 months to share their views on the coupes in their lives, telling us about how they feel to drive, their practicality and, on occasion, their faults.
So which ones are most popular with our readers and what do they think of them?
BMW 3 Series (pictured below) and 4 Series (pictured above) – Owners’ Review Coupe Champion
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In 2013 BMW ended over 35 years of production of two-door 3 Series models, calling its latest coupe mid-sizer the 4 Series.
Despite the name change it seems to have lost none of its appeal with buyers, and rightly so. The 3 Series and 4 Series coupes are elegantly styled, great to drive and come with a wide range of petrol and diesel engines to suit the performance and economy requirements of a broad spectrum of customers.
In spite of the popularity of the diesel engine range in the saloon counterparts, the majority of the coupes featured larger petrol powerplants, the 335i coupe being the most frequently reviewed by owners. The vast majority of those were equipped in M Sport trim with Steptronic automatic gearboxes, offering a manual override when the driver so desires it.
At Parkers we rate the 4 Series and its 3 Series predecessor highly and so do our readers: Des Crane says of his 335i “Well what can I say..? Smooth six-speed auto connected to a straight-six engine with twin turbos! 306bhp is delivered with confidence. Great as an everyday car around town and also on motorway runs. B roads a pleasure with paddle shifters and took a trip to the Nurburgring in its stride!”
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Americans would refer to the Audi TT coupe as a ‘personal car’, albeit a small one. Essentially it’s a two-seater with a large boot, accessed by a hatchback, for the dinkiest-sized of people, there are two small seats in the back.
With Audi’s third generation TT only just going on sale at the end of 2014, owners’ reviews submitted over the past 12 months are dominated by the outgoing version.
Based upon the modified structure of the A3 hatchback (itself derived from Volkswagen’s Golf family platform), the TT looks rakish, has Audi’s hallmark high level of fit and finish and offers genuine sports car agility for those who want to exploit it. For those who don’t, the sleek TT can be docile and easy to drive.
It can also prove to be very economical too, especially when fitted with the frugal 2.0-litre TDI engine option, as the majority of Parkers’ readers have, specced in Sporty S-Line guise.
Yvee Elbro loves the power and economy of her “superb” TT 2.0 TDI S-Line but was also impressed that “…for a sporting car the boot is Tardis-like, you can get so much in. Also back seats fold down if you need to. Really practical for a flashy impractical looking car – superb quality – 11 out of 10 for driver smiles.”
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Although its style and shape is completely different, the Volkswagen Scirocco and Audi TT are closely related under the skin, sharing many underbody and mechanical components.
What the Scirocco promises with its taller, almost estate car-like roofline is greater practicality over its cousin. It’s true to a degree, particularly in terms of rear-seat room, but two adults will find it more cramped there than in the back of a three-door Golf. Rear visibility is also compromised by the rear seat head rests and narrow windows.
Unlike Audi which has revealed its all-new TT, Volkswagen’s latest Scirocco is a facelift of the existing car, featuring sharper lines to its bumpers, new lights front and rear and additional dials on the dashboard.
Again, as with its TT counterpart, most Parkers readers have diesel-engined Sciroccos, the majority trimmed in popular GT specification.
Richard Oliver made some interesting observations in his owner’s review: “It says I’m an individual. The new Golf is better in many ways ‘on paper’ than my Scirocco, but is boring to look at. I get comments all the time from people saying they like it, or they want one.”
